1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a protective device against frictional irritation of the web space between toes, particularly between the big and adjacent toe, due to the wearing of thong-type sandals or other footwear.
2) Background Art
The problems associated with footwear have become widespread and have advanced the development of shoes over the years from the fashion minded to the functional equipment for the professional and recreational athlete. These conditions run the gamut of soft tissue injuries to deformity. Obviously cosmetic and function do not always go hand in hand, or in many instances the shoe does not always fit.
One of the oldest forms of footwear is a simple sandal with a thong or strap which extends from the top (dosum) to the bottom (plantar) aspect of the foot which acts as a tether. The normal linear acceleration in space as one goes through the gait cycle, produces frictional forces and force vectors that result in compression of the first web space or interspace. The constant repetitive trauma results in compression and friction that is painful, irratative, and finally erosion. The simple thong type sandal has in recent years become one of the most common and fashionable types of footwear on the market.
The patent literature discloses a variety of designs for casual footwear including sandals which are available in a wide variety of styles and colors. Regardless of the style or type of sandal, many have a thong or strap between the toes, which aids in anchoring the sandal to the wearer's foot.
Many years ago in 1915, U.S. Pat. No. 1,129,670, issued and disclosed a foot-toe cushion and shield which was comprised of a transverse arch or ridge arranged to fit under the adjacent sole of the foot and to support the toes with blades projecting longitudinally from the arch or ridge and arranged to fit between the toes. The cushion and shield were designed to be worn within stockings for the purpose of overcoming deformities of the toes, arresting the tendency to malformation of the toes and other foot troubles of like nature.
Years later in 1950, U.S. Pat. No. 2,506,308, issued and disclosed a toe-separating device. The central portion of each separator is concave in shape, so that when viewed, appears to have an hour glass shape. The purpose of such shape is to conform to the general shape of the sides of the toes. The device as disclosed in the patent, can be formed of a highly porous, spongy material such as soft rubber which can deform to a large degree by a relatively light pressure.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,207,880, there is disclosed and claimed a toe separator and pedicure aid which utilizes both a corrective aid for separating overlapping or crooked toes and as a pedicure aid to keep toes separated during pedicures, polish or medicine application. The toe separator apparatus is comprised of a pliable and substantially non-elastic sole member which extends substantially to the width of the users foot and has a plurality of slits formed near the toe end and a plurality of separate elements fastened to the sole member.
A more recent U.S. Pat. No. 4,769,013, which issued Sep. 6, 1988, discloses and claims a bio-effective material and device for treating athlete's foot. Even though the wearing of sandals allows the feet to be exposed to the air, fungal infections are common and require appropriate treatment. The reference invention discloses and claims a medical material having an anti-fungal activity and is comprised of a polyurethane complexed with polyvinypyrollidone and an anti-bacterial agent complexed with polyvinylpyrollidone.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,595,640 which issued on May 6, 1952, discloses and claims a toe spacer device for maintaining the toes of a foot in separate relationship and is comprised of a plurality of wedge-shape members adapted to be inserted between the toes while the toes are manicured.
In April, 1956, U.S. Pat. No. 2,740,207, issued and disclosed certain medicated shoes having a vamp with a completely open toe section and an inner sole for the treatment of athletes foot. It is indicated at column 1, lines 20 et seq. that the invention is concerned with irritation around the toes and the skin between and under the toes. The medicated shoe or slipper is comprised of a plurality of soft yielding partitioning strips, substantially narrower than the length of toe space in the slipper and is secured to one end of the inner sole and at the other end to the inside of the vamp in the region of the junction of the toe and foot. The stripes have medication for treatment of the foot.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,906,007, which issued May 25, 1999, discloses an article of footwear for use in relation to a pedicure. The article has a body portion which is worn like a stocking and a top portion covering each toe.
IN May, 2001, U.S. Pat. No. 6,226,893B1 issued and discloses a pedicure sandal having a plurality of toe-receiving loops for engaging the wearer's toes. It is indicated in the patent that during the performance of a pedicure, it is necessary to maintain the toes of the pedicure recipient in spaced apart relation to provide easy access by the person performing the pedicure.
Prior to the present invention, simple and comfortable devices were not available for minimizing the potential irritation between the big and adjacent toe due to the presence of the thong of sandals and similar footwear. Accordingly, these and other objects will readily become apparent in like of the teachings herein set forth.
It is an object of this invention to provide a device or web space protector for thong-type sandals and other footwear. Another object of this invention is to provide a web space protector which is easily installed when wearing sandals and protects the skin between the large toe and the adjacent toe from unnecessary irritation by the thong. A still further object is to provide protection for the web space between toes which is easy to apply and is essentially invisible to the wearer. Another object of this invention is to provide a device or web space protector which adheres to the skin of the foot without the need for an adhesive and is comprised of a material which already had application in a wide variety of medical applications. These and other objects will readily become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains.